The All-Star forward was hurt upon landing after a dunk in a game against Milwaukee on Feb. 6. The 7-foot-3 forward said there was sharp pain when the injury happened, but that he quickly felt better.

“I got up, I started walking a little bit, it felt better with every step, so once I got to the locker room I was like, ‘Can I go back in the game?'” he said. “I almost felt that good.”

“I thought it was like a sprain honestly. I didn’t feel it pop, I didn’t feel anything. So once it happened on the floor I was trying to get back in as soon as possible, because I thought I don’t want to be on the floor too long. It’s just a sprain. But then I got the bad news.”

That came at the hospital, where tests confirmed the torn ligament. He underwent surgery and said he is keeping a positive mindset in his recovery, already working on his upper body strength while rehabilitating the knee.

“I was shocked at first. I couldn’t believe that it happened to me, and then about 30 seconds later I said, ‘OK, what can I do now?”‘ Porzingis said. “Now it’s just time for me to make a comeback and then I focused on the next thing, and that was prepare myself for the surgery.”